BREAKING: Hamzat Didn’t Know Running Mate Until APC Picked Her

BREAKING: Hamzat Didn’t Know Running Mate Until APC Picked Her

The Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, has disclosed that he had no prior personal relationship with his running mate, Damilola Sonayon-James, before the party selected her as his deputy for the 2027 governorship election. Hamzat made the revelation on Thursday during the public presentation of Who Is She?, an event held at the Syrian Club Event Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos. According to Hamzat, although he played a role in defining the qualities the party should look for in a running mate, he had never personally interacted with Sonayon-James until after her emergence. He admitted that he did not even have her phone number at the time of her selection and had to obtain it from a third party.

The selection process was shaped by recommendations that received the approval of President Bola Tinubu. Hamzat explained that the President delegated the responsibility of selecting the deputy governorship candidate to party leaders after agreeing with his proposal that the position should go to a young woman. “The President called me and said, you guys go and sort it out, and I’m quoting him. I said, sir, I think it should be a female. He said, it’s okay. It should be young. He said, it’s okay,” Hamzat recounted.

The selection process also took into consideration the state’s political balancing and zoning arrangement. Since Hamzat hails from the Lagos East Senatorial District and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu comes from the Lagos Central District, the running mate had to be chosen from the Lagos West District. “We now said, okay, but we must also make sure it’s not from the east, because I’m from the east. And then the current governor is from the central, so it cannot be from central. It must be from the west,” Hamzat explained.

Despite the careful selection process, Hamzat admitted that Sonayon-James was a complete stranger to him before her emergence. “But my point is that until Damilola was elected, I don’t know her phone number. I got her phone number from somebody,” he said. The deputy governor, however, emphasised that what mattered most was her record of service and commitment to grassroots development. He described her as an active community leader who has been doing great things for her people. “But what is the important thing? The important thing is that she’s been very active in the community. She’s been doing great things,” Hamzat said.

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Hamzat also took the opportunity to encourage young women to remain optimistic about opportunities in Nigeria, urging them not to be discouraged by negative narratives about the country. “So, our young ladies, you know, if you listen on television, you hear all sorts of negative things about this country. Don’t believe it. Don’t believe it,” he said.

The Lagos State chapter of the APC officially announced Damilola Sonayon-James, the party’s Deputy Woman Leader, as Hamzat’s running mate for the 2027 governorship election in June 2026. Her nomination received the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu and the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) , the apex decision-making body of the APC in Lagos State. APC Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi said Sonayon-James emerged after extensive consultations and a rigorous selection process that considered competence, leadership capacity, grassroots acceptance, party loyalty, and the ability to contribute meaningfully to the continued development of Lagos State.

According to Ojelabi, Sonayon-James is a 41-year-old accomplished governance and development professional with over 15 years of experience spanning public policy, institutional development, sustainability, risk governance, human capital strategy, stakeholder engagement, and community development. She previously served as Supervisor for Agriculture and Social Services in Badagry-West Local Council Development Area, where she championed initiatives focused on agricultural development, women empowerment, youth inclusion, educational support, community welfare, and social intervention programmes. The Badagry-born politician is widely respected for her grassroots engagement and dedication to community development. Ojelabi described the Hamzat-Sonayon-James ticket as a blend of experience, innovation, grassroots connection, and visionary leadership capable of advancing the developmental aspirations of Lagos residents.

Hamzat secured the APC governorship ticket on May 21, 2026, polling 657,917 votes out of 657,974 accredited votes cast, while his sole challenger, Lanre Jim-Kamal, secured only one vote. His emergence is historic, as no deputy governor in the history of Lagos State has ever successfully contested to succeed their principal. Having served as Sanwo-Olu’s deputy since 2019, Hamzat is also the first deputy governor to serve two consecutive terms in the state since the return of democracy in 1999. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has officially unveiled the Hamzat-Sonayon-James ticket, describing the duo as a leadership team capable of sustaining and expanding development across Lagos State. Sanwo-Olu praised Sonayon-James as a sustainability expert and grassroots development advocate whose commitment to community development and youth empowerment reflects the aspirations of many Lagosians.

BREAKING: Hamzat Didn’t Know Running Mate Until APC Picked Her